For celebs, the Aug. 24 soiree for Miramax's 54 -- an ode to that notorious New York '70s hangout Studio 54 (see story on page 20) -- was a chance to turn the beat around. From the shirtless bartenders to the line of wannabes outside Soundstage 5 at L.A.'s Raleigh Studios, it was disco deja vu all over again. ''I absolutely was at 54,'' gushed partygoer Lauren Holly. This ''brought back a lot of memories of those days.'' 54's Sela Ward, who was joined by costars Mike Myers, Ryan Phillippe, and Salma Hayek, agreed: ''I was like 20 years old, and I used to drive to Manhattan every weekend.'' For the less lucky (or maybe just the younger), the packed screening at Mann's Chinese Theater and the glittering fete were a chance trip inside a disco inferno. ''I always had this vision of drugs, rock & roll, and sex,'' said Natalie Portman. ''My expectations are affirmed.'' Said Phillippe, ''I'm a little overwhelmed, but there'll never be another 54, so it's fun to get into it for a night.'' (The actor adapted nicely; he held court on the balcony with girlfriend Reese Witherspoon.) But by evening's end, some couldn't boogie-oogie-oogie another step. ''I should be dancing, but it's time to go,'' said Ellen Albertini Dow, who appears as a coke-snorting septuagenarian. ''Tomorrow is another day.'' Or another era.
